Wow! I can't
believe this is the final episode, but I think we're ending on a
good note. Thanks to all the amazing reviewers whose encouragement
kept this story going way longer than I expected it to (I was
originally planning on 10 chapters) and who have inspired me to think
seriously about sequels. As always, location and most characters
belong to Tamora Pierce.

Dalton emerged pale
and trembling from the chamber the next morning. He flew straight at
Penelope, who sprinted up to greet him, and they kissed passionately
enough to make Wyldon cough uncomfortably and George whistle loudly.
Alanna scowled at both men—who bumped shoulders in their hurry to
step out of her way and then jumped away from each other as though
scorched—and tapped Dalton gently on the shoulder.

He disentangled
himself and allowed her to check him for injuries. Aside from a burn
mark across his left fingers—the twin to Penelope's, Alanna
realized when she examined it—he appeared unharmed. She decided
that the Chamber was growing perverse and meddlesome in its old age,
but didn't mention it aloud. Neal would either worry or tell her
she was the pot calling the kettle black and she didn't relish
either possibility.

She sighed and
beckoned Neal to help Penelope drag Dalton back to his room.

MMMM

"No need for you to
ask what I saw," Dalton muttered, pressing his palm to Penelope's
as soon as Neal stepped out to find food.

"No," she agreed
quietly, as they interlaced their fingers so that a single mark
appeared across the back of their hands. "Do you think it was
showing us the future?"

Dalton shook his head.
" I hope not. I think it might have been more metaphorical."

"Even if it is our
destiny, well, then, forewarned is forearmed." She tilted her head
thoughtfully. "And obviously the Chamber wants us to win."

"So good to know we
have a bloodthirsty room behind us," Dalton said.

They instinctively
pulled their hands apart when Neal returned a short while later. And
then they were too happy and too busy eating to talk of anything at
all. Dalton very nearly fell asleep in his empty bowl and Neal chased
Penelope out with the promise that he would see them both at the
chapel in a few hours.

Penelope was making an
impatient, but rather aimless, circuit of the practice courts when
Alanna cornered her with a suspiciously soft and lumpy parcel.

"I'm afraid you're
going to have to wear a dress, lady knight." The Lionness's
expression as she deposited the bundle in Penelope's arms and began
dragging her back to her room was almost gleeful and Penelope
immediately opened her mouth to protest. "I had to wear one at
mine," Alanna continued, "and, more importantly, the queen is
going to demand a detailed account of the ceremony—attire
included—and I'll have an easier time giving it if I don't have
to explain that you were wearing old practice clothes."

Penelope blinked and
glanced down, realizing she hadn't changed since her brief morning
exercise before Dalton's ordeal. "You're sacrificing me at the
altar of convenient gossip?"

"More or less,"
Alanna agreed. "But I'm not abandoning you completely. I have a
very practical and trustworthy dressmaker—she understands needs
like breathing and eating and walking—and I demanded a very simple
gown—for ease of description and mobility."

Penelope rolled her
eyes skeptically as Alanna shoved her into her room.

"Just trust me."

Penelope began
unwrapping the dress and sighed with relief when she found that it
was a soft blue color and completely devoid of lace and ruffles.
Something heavy fell from the package and landed with a soft thump on
her bed.

"Oh, it's
beautiful." Penelope lifted the dagger that had rolled out of the
dress and examined it with a reverent expression. It was sharp and
slim and stamped with the mark of Raven Armory.

Alanna chuckled
softly.

"The dress and
slippers are lovely too," Penelope assured her. Though when she
tried the dress on she decided that "lovely" didn't really do
it justice. It fit perfectly, draping gracefully in all the right
places. When she spun around and glanced in the looking glass she
found that she appeared feminine and elegant, but her everyday
practical and athletic self was still quite recognizable.

"Yes," Alanna
muttered. "You are beautiful. Try not to let it go to your head."

Penelope smiled and
pulled on the slippers. They also fit perfectly, but they seemed
comfortable and sturdy enough to run miles in.

"Who appointed you
my fairy godsmother?" she asked.

"Well, I didn't
think Neal was particularly well qualified," Alanna explained. "And
I have years of experience fair godsmothering—I rather enjoy it to
tell you the truth. Just don't ask to see my wings."

MMMM

"I had no idea she
could scrub up so well," Neal muttered to Dalton as they waited for
Alanna and Penelope to finish consulting with on of the priestesses
of the Goddess. He'd seen Penelope in a dress only a handful of
times and she'd always been pretty—she had an attractive
liveliness about her even when she was in sweaty practice clothes—but
he'd never seen her quite so breathtaking.

"I didn't either,"
Dalton whispered back. "I think the Lioness had something to do
with it."

"A word of advice—"

Dalton rolled his
eyes. "I know better than to tell her that."

Neal rolled his eyes
back. " I was going to suggest that you not thank Lady Alanna,
Excess gratitude makes her nervous."

Then, as though they
knew they were being discussed, Alanna and Penelope both turned their
heads and raised their eyebrows before strolling slowly back so that
the priest could begin the ceremony.

The ceremony itself
was quite brief and rather quiet, though Penelope remembered very few
details after it was over. Neal also thought it passed in a bit of a
blur, but he later decided it had been one of the most intimate and
the happiest weddings he had ever attended. It was not the
strangest—that honor went to Daine and Numair—however, it was
rather atypical.

No rings were
exchanged, because both bride and groom objected to anything that
interfered with their ability to grip sword hilts. And the Mithran
priest—a plump and practical old man—took one look at the four of
them and wisely adjusted the speech so as to emphasize duty and
fidelity, rather than purity, nobility, and fertility.

At first, Neal
suspected this amendment had something to do with the knife hilt
whose outline appeared beneath Alanna's skirt every time she took a
particularly large step, but once the priest ended by muttering " I
fancy you two have heard enough drivel about chivalry in the past two
days to be getting on with." Then he turned to Penelope and added,
"now hurry up and kiss him properly—none of this check pecking
nonsense—the poor novices haven't had anything to gossip about in
weeks—this has been lovely but I have quite a bit to do this
afternoon—busy time of year, you know."

MMMM

Alanna bit her lip as
she knocked sharply on Wyldon's door. His fingers tightened on the
doorknob when he recognized her and he cleared his throat with a
faint growl.

"Did you get my
note?" she asked.

He nodded silently.

"And?"

He sighed. "Selena
is looking forward to going."

"You know that's
not what I meant," Alanna snapped.

"Indeed, pray tell
me, what did you mean? You're being remarkable reticent for a woman
famed for her bluntness."

"Will you be there?"
she muttered.

"Undoubtedly not."
He spoke each syllable as though it were a jab in the side.

Alanna fixed her eyes
on her shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Whatever for? You
certainly don't want me there."

Alanna nodded. "I
don't. But I know that Penelope appreciates your—admittedly
rather belated—fairness and Dalton respects you. I think they would
want you there. And I believe it would do Mindelan good to see you
supporting her former charges. This is the first lot she's seen all
the way from page to knight, you know." She pulled her chin up and
glared at him. "So, come," she snarled, before turning to leave.

"I don't take
orders from you, lady knight."

Alanna glanced back at
him "That was an invitation. Don't make me issue an order."

Fortunately, Selena
appeared beside Wyldon at that moment and mouthed "he'll be
there" as she ushered her knightmaster back inside.

Dom scowled and
deposited a coin in Neal's hand. "It's not the money. It's
the principle of loosing to my half-mad cousin." He shook his
head. "Remind me not to bet against the young lovers next
time—unless they're star-crossed, in which case all bets are
off."

Neal nodded. "I'll
be happy to. After all, I'm still planning to cash in on Tobe and
whats-her-name."

"Tessa," Dom
muttered.

"See. He's told
you her name. That means something."

"Actually, I learned
it when she beat me at target practice. Don't ever challenge her at
archery, by the way; she will win. I think she might be better than
Daine."

"I'll take that
under advisement," Neal said. "You and Kel will come to our
little gathering tonight?"

Dom nodded. "We'll
be there early. I suspect it's going to be a historic occasion."

MMMM

A few hours later,
Kel's family had the unique experience of following Lord Wyldon—who
walked stiffly with Selina on his arm, as though her were escorting
her to a ball—into the Lioness's family's quarters. Inside,
she was unsurprised to find Neal's family and Penelope had already
gathered, but she was rather surprised find Penelope wearing a dress.

"Congratulations,"
Kel told Dalton. "You're looking well. Did you have a restful
afternoon?"

"Not exactly,"
Dalton muttered, as though he found the question strange.

"You didn't tell
her!" Neal scolded Dom, just as George said, "I heard it was a
quiet ceremony, but since they eloped, I wouldn't know."

It took Kel a moment
to process both of these statements. Then she turned an astonished
gaze towards her former students, resolving to have a few words with
Dom regarding, "full disclosure".

"You what? That's
wonderful." Then another thought crossed her mind and she narrowed
her eyes at Penelope. "You aren't pregnant are you?"

Dalton shot Penelope
an extremely panicked glance and seemed to forget how to breathe.
Wyldon—who had taken a fortifying goblet of wine immediately upon
entering—swallowed the wrong way and gave a tremendous hacking
cough. Alanna pounded both of them on the back as Penelope raised her
eyebrows and gently shook her head—at which point Dalton remembered
about inhaling and exhaling, though Wyldon continued to sputter
weakly.

"I wonder why such
an idea should occur to you, lady knight," Penelope murmured
innocently as she easily ducked the hand Neal tried to plaster over
her mouth.

Kel blushed slightly,
but was saved by Lady Alanna telling Neal—or perhaps Penelope—"it's
a pity it takes so long to train them properly."

It was not until much
later—after their meal, after Kefira had disappeared with Sarra and
Nessa for a wild game of tag, and after Dom, Neal, George, Dalton,
Yuki, Raoul, Buri, and Alanna had settled into an even wilder game of
cards—that Kel sought out Wyldon and found him deep in conversation
with the Wildmage.

"What are they
talking about?" she wondered aloud.

"Horses," Numair
informed her.

"Or dogs," Selena,
who was waiting beside Numair, added.

"Probably both,"
Numair muttered. "They talk about archery every once in a while—"

"but never for more
than two minutes at a stretch." Selena finished. And then she and
Numair returned to their own conversation about the possibility of
using magic to create lightweight metal for armor and weapons.

Fortunately, Kitten
gave an impatient whistle a few moments later and bid Wyldon farewell
so that she could attend to the dragon. Kel swallowed and took a few
steps toward Wyldon. She realized that Selena was at her elbow and
paused.

"Do you need
anything, lady knight?"

Kel hesitated and then
nodded. "I want you to pour a stiff brandy—"

"I didn't know you
dran—"

"and then watch
Wyldon's face from a distance and bring it if—when he turns
red—or if he seems likely to start shouting," Kel continued. "Can
you manage that?'

Selena raised her
eyebrows and nodded. "Luck be with you, lady knight. And don't
make any inane weather comments—the damp has been bothering his arm
lately."

Kel nodded and gave
Selena a small salute before marching to the window where Wyldon
stood.

"Might I have a word
with you, sir?"

"You've just had
several, Mindelan, and all you have done with them is warn me that
you have more to say." The left corner of his mouth twitched
upward—just barely—as he spoke.

"Sorry, sir," Kel
muttered.

Lord Wyldon tilted his
head slightly and—to Kel's great amazement—lifted a single
eyebrow. "Indeed, Mindelan, that was a single, if inexplicable,
word, though it came with a rather long, and also inexplicable,
introduction."

"I'm pregnant,"
Kel murmured.

Wyldon's jaw
stiffened momentarily and he blinked rapidly at her. But he continued
breathing steadily and no implosion or explosion seemed imminent, so
Kel decided it was safe to continue.

"Queenscove thinks
I'm going to deliver about a month past midsummer. Dom and I
thought we should inform you first because—"

Lord Wyldon lifted a
hand to stop her. "Pardon the interruption Mindelan," he
muttered. Then he shouted across the room, "Raoul, you owe me five
nobles. And Selena, that brandy won't be necessary. A small glass
of wine should suffice."

Kel found herself
staring at her former training master. "You knew."

He shook his head.
"Your timing was unexpected. I made a few hopeful guesses based
upon your overpowering desire to nurture and your apparent
predilection for undertaking thankless tasks. Admittedly, I rather
admire said traits and therefore wish to offer you my
congratulations." He smiled at her bewildered expression.

And then his face
adopted a bewildered expression of its own as Kel pulled him into a
sudden hug and buried her face against his chest. He stroked her hair
tentatively and smiled nervously at Dom, Alanna, and the others—who
had given up their card game to watch.

"Am I the only one
who has no idea what's going on?" Dalton asked. Numair, and
Kitten—presumably that was what the whistle meant—assured him
that he was not just as George explained the matter.

"How did you know?"
Alanna demanded.

"Well, you're
knowing smile raised my suspicions and Penelope confirmed them. And
then, of course, there is only one running bet between Wyldon and
Raoul. Although Raoul, in fact, only owes Wyldon four nobles because
Wyldon lost a previous bet concerning the recent marriage of a
certain pair of knights."

"So good to have a
thief keeping us all honest," Raoul muttered.

Kel shook her head and
turned back to Wyldon, who was openly glaring at George. "So I was
wondering," she continued, as though she hadn't been interrupted,
"if you might let me borrow Selena a bit during the coming
months—as an assistant."

"That," Wyldon
told her with mock severity, "is entirely up to Selena. I, however,
consider it highly advisable and also suggest that you make use of
the newlyweds, since I understand that they'll be stuck here for
the next few years. Goodness knows I would rather see them helping
you then gadding about flaunting conventions."

Kel nodded
thoughtfully and then looked back at Penelope and Dalton—who were
sharing an armchair—and at Selena who was leaning one hip against
the table and waiting with Wyldon's wine. Penelope and Dalton
glanced at each other and then back at her; Selena blinked calmly.
And Kel began thinking about what it would be like to have three
competent assistants. Very relaxing, she decided, and quite
justifiable given the small influx of pages—now that more girls
were coming—and the fact that Wyldon had often hired Shang warriors
to assist with training. Penelope and Dalton would be coming and
going from the palace, but if things stayed peaceful they'd be home
more often than not and Kel could…

"You don't have to
ask, lady knight," Selena told her.

"We'll do almost
anything for room and board," Penelope said.

"with the noted
exception of retrieving lost pages from trees," Dalton added
hastily.

Wyldon blinked mildly.
"I was given to understand that Peter's parents decided the
rigors of palace training were unsuitable for their beloved child."

"Indeed," Kel
muttered, grinning gratefully.

Later still—when the
girls had gathered in a sleepy heap on top of Silverspot and the card
game had wound down into quiet conversation as the adults gazed at
the fire—George decided it was time to voice the question that must
surely be on everyone's mind.

"So lady knight
Keladry, boy or girl?"

Kel blinked. "I
haven't thought…"

"Yes, of course you
haven't." George rubbed his palms together. "But it's of
great financial import to the rest of us." He straightened himself
in his chair and glanced around. "So let's hear your guesses then
and"—he paused and stared pointedly at Neal and Alanna—"no
cheating with healing gift or taking advantage of privileged status
as a favorite of the Goddess."

"Fine." Alanna
glanced once at Kel and then at Kefira. "Fine. Girl."

"That's just what
she wants," Neal muttered. "Boy," he pronounced.

"Boy," Dom agreed.
"But that's probably wishful thinking."

"Girl," Yuki said,
raising her eyebrows wickedly at Neal.

Beside her Daine said,
"I think I might have to go with boy since they have a girl
already."

"Ah, but
statistically speaking, Magelet," Numair murmured, "the gender
of the first child has no influence on the gender of the second,
therefore, they are just as likely to have a girl."

"Was that your bet?"
George demanded.

Numair glanced from
Daine's scowl to George's eager eyes and shook his head. "I
think I'll refrain from making one."

Wyldon gave a long
sigh and looked from Kel to Kefira to Dom. "Girl," he said
confidently. " Does Keladry have an opinion?"

Kel shook her head
with a bemused snort.

"Of course she has
one," Buri grumbled. "She's just too polite to tell half of us
we're wrong." She tossed a date into the air, caught it, and
studied it for a moment before pronouncing, "boy."

Raoul shrugged.
"Girl."

And then Kefira
surprised them all by piping up, " I would prefer a boy, Mama. I
think a little brother would be easier to manage."

"I shall take that
under consideration," Kel said gently, and then she glanced
curiously at Penelope and Dalton.

"Well," said
Dalton, "I'm well aware that older sisters are not to be tangled
with. Boy."

Penelope rolled her
neck and waited for them all to turn impatiently towards her before
declaring crisply, "girl." She smiled and settled her head back
on Dalton's shoulder. "It's quite simple really. Someone
relatively wise"—she glanced pointedly at Neal—"once told me
that Lord Wyldon and Lady Alanna are both always right, even when one
of them is wrong. So, it must be virtually impossible for both of
them to be wrong at the same time, particularly when they're both
sitting on the same couch." Indeed, Wyldon and Alanna were at
opposite ends of the same couch, though Yuki and Neal were sitting
between them.

Wyldon and Alanna
glanced once at each other and then growled simultaneously,
"Queenscove!"

Neal scrambled off the
couch as they both reached for him. "Traitor!" he hissed at
Penelope. He glared at Kel. "I told you this was a bad idea. You
see what happens when I take squires. They make themselves so
indispensable that I grow attached. They get into so many scrapes
that my hair is in danger of turning grey. And then they run off and
get knighted and marry and leave me to the mercy of the two most
dangerous knights in Tortall."

"On the contrary, I
think it was an excellent idea," Kel said. "Everyone's gotten
exactly what he or she deserves."

"Indeed," Wyldon
murmured, watching as Neal attempted to use Selena as a shield.
"Indeed we have."

So, yes it's the
end of an era. I want to thank two "sources". First, the BBC(?)
show To Serve Them All of My Days, which is about a boarding school
in post WWI England and gave me the idea that a teacher could be such
a central character. Second, Jane Espenson's blog, which is geared
towards screenwriters, but gives great advice on crafting plot and
dialogue and which I recommend for all aspiring writers and food
critics. It's at thanks again to
all the wonderful reviewers who kept me going. Writing this has been
tremendously entertaining and it gave me the confidence I needed to
finish writing my first original fantast novel. I plan to devote the
summer to revising it, but I can't leave Kel and Penelope behind
entirely so I hope to post some one-shot sequels soon.

Best wishes to
everyone for a terrific summer of reading and writing!

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.